Fairground
by Sarahrose660
Summary: AU. Lance and Morganna dare Arthur to go on the biggest ride of the fair, and he agrees... only to meet Merlin, a fairground worker. Merlin/Arthur.


A/N: The fair is back in my town, so I wrote this. The ride mentioned is real; I went on it last year, and it was terrifying!

Fairground

Flashing lights pulsate and blind Arthur as he stumbles across the fairground, arms linked on either side with Morganna and Gwen. Lance stands on Gwen's other side, yelling into her ear as she laughs at the horrible jokes he is cracking. They've already been on several rides; the bumper cars (Morganna nearly winded Arthur in a particularly hard attack) the waltzers, and of course, one of the kid's rides (for Gwen's sake.)

So they're all in high spirits as they head across to the huge rides, the ones that only the hardcore lads in their year group go on. Towering above them is a monstrosity of such a ride, loud music playing as the crowd vies for the next go.

"Bet you couldn't do that," Lance yells at Arthur drunkenly, and Arthur glares back at him, insulted.

"You think I'm scared of that thing?" He asks, secretly quaking at the idea of going on it, of being so high off the ground. The ride has two long arms with seats attached. They swing around, high up above the ground and the seats twist…. and Arthur feels faintly sick looking at it. But Arthur is a proud sixteen year old, and a Pendragon at that – there is no way in hell he is admitting his fear of heights to anyone.

"Yeah, yeah I do mate. Dare you to go on it. Bet you won't." Lance slurs, and Morganna silently raises one perfectly shaped eyebrow, adding to the dare. That's all it takes for Arthur, that tiny provocation from his step sister.

"I will," Arthur says, surprising himself. "I'll do it." The next five minutes pass in a blur as he stands in the queue, being shunted by older kids and sweating at the idea of what he is about to do. He pays his money, and stands in the holding pen. _Like lambs to the slaughter,_ Arthur thinks morosely.

And it's then, when he's seriously thinking of pulling out, Morganna and Lance be damned, that he sees him. Leaning seductively against the ticket booth is a boy of about Arthur's own age. The boy is tall and gangly, dressed in loose, long slung jeans and a simple tee-shirt. A small silver stud glints in his left ear. His hair is messy and too long, his cheekbones too sharp and his ears too large for him to be considered attractive. He's the sexiest thing Arthur has ever seen.

In a daze, from a heady mix of lust and fear, Arthur mounts the boarding platform, and takes a seat. The girl next to him looks a white as a sheet, but the boy next to her is grinning at his mates in the crowd. Arthur does neither; he tries to ignore the boy, but then he's coming closer and pulling on Arthur's seat belt to make sure it's safely fastened. His hands brush Arthur's groin, and Arthur can feel himself stirring. The boy raises his dark blue eyes to Arthur's and then, very deliberately, strokes him again. Arthur gasps, but the boy is already gone to check everyone else, and Arthur is pretty sure he didn't touch any of _them_.

And then Arthur is flying through the air, screams being ripped from his throat as he leaves the ground far below him. His hair is ruffled, his eyes streaming, the wind lashing his face… he's never felt more alive. And then, just as soon as it's begun, it's over, he's being lowered to the ground and the boy is coming back round. Silently, he takes off Arthur's seatbelt, and starts to walk away. But then, he turns back and slips something crumpled up into Arthur's back pocket, giving his arse a quick rub as he does go. And then he's gone, and Arthur has to leave.

Morganna and Lance are speechless at his daring and Gwen just smiles sweetly. Arthur doesn't mention the boy to them; he just suggests that they go get candyfloss. The rest of the night passes in a hazy, pleasurable blur of being with his three best friends and getting high on adrenaline.

Later, when he undresses for bed, Arthur remembers the note. He pulls it out; on the back of a crumpled _Tesco_ receipt is a phone number and a hastily scribbled note.

_Call me. My name's Merlin, and I'm in town until next Sunday x_

Suddenly, Arthur's very glad he went on that ride after all.


End file.
